The legend of Vermetus begins not with a warrior, nor a sorcerer, but with the shifting sands of Xylos. Xylos, a continent perpetually veiled in twilight, was once the heart of a civilization known as the Lumina. The Lumina were masters of resonance – manipulating the very vibrations of matter and energy to create breathtaking structures, intricate devices, and, most importantly, the Soulstones. These Soulstones weren't merely gems; they were crystallized echoes of sentient beings, repositories of memory and emotion. The Lumina believed that by harmonizing with these stones, they could achieve a state of perfect understanding, of unity with the universe itself.
But Xylos, like all things, succumbed to entropy. A cataclysm, known only as the Discordance, shattered the Soulstone network, unleashing chaotic energies and transforming the land into a labyrinth of shimmering illusions and temporal anomalies. The Lumina vanished, their cities crumbled, and the sands of Xylos began to whisper – whispers of forgotten names, fractured memories, and the unbearable sorrow of a lost civilization. These whispers, it is said, are the core of the Vermetus.
The Vermetus are not creatures of flesh and blood, but manifestations of these residual echoes, solidified by the Discordance into beings of semi-organic, semi-geometric form. They are drawn to areas of intense emotional resonance – sites of great joy, profound grief, or moments of profound revelation. They are observers, collectors, and, occasionally, manipulators of these echoes.
Their appearance is unsettling, a constant flux of obsidian shards and shimmering light. Some resemble humanoid forms, but their limbs are often fragmented, their faces obscured by swirling vortexes of energy. Others take on entirely abstract shapes – pulsating geometries that shift and reform with every passing moment. They communicate not through words, but through alterations in the surrounding environment; a sudden drop in temperature, a brief flash of light, a fleeting sense of disorientation. The intensity of these effects is directly proportional to the emotional weight of the echoes they're channeling.
It’s theorized that the Vermetus possess a fragmented consciousness, a composite of the memories and emotions absorbed from the Soulstones. This means they can experience a bewildering array of sensations – the thrill of a Lumina artist’s creation, the despair of a dying warrior, the serenity of a contemplative scholar. This also makes them incredibly unpredictable, prone to sudden shifts in behavior, driven by impulses they can't fully comprehend.
“'The echoes do not obey. They *choose*. And their choices are often… tragic.'” – Archivist Lyra, Last of the Chronomasters
Several isolated accounts have surfaced over the centuries, detailing encounters with Vermetus. The most consistent element in these accounts is a profound feeling of unease, a sense of being judged, or simply watched. Some researchers believe that prolonged exposure to a Vermetus can induce hallucinations, leading to madness or, conversely, to a state of heightened awareness.
The Xylos Academy, established by the remnants of the Lumina's knowledge, has dedicated centuries to studying the Vermetus. Their methodologies are complex, relying on intricate resonance tuning and psychometric analysis. However, their efforts have been largely unsuccessful, hampered by the Vermetus’s elusive nature and the lingering effects of the Discordance.
1. The term "Discordance" is largely speculative, based on fragmented records and interpretations of Lumina prophecies. It is believed to have been triggered by a catastrophic experiment involving the amplification of Soulstone resonance.
2. The Soulstones were not uniformly distributed across Xylos; concentrations were found in specific locations – the ruins of ancient cities, within the heart of colossal crystals, and within the minds of particularly gifted Lumina individuals.